ABSTRACT

This study integrates research on contraceptive prevalence with research on contraceptive dynamics in hookup culture to examine college women’s use of withdrawal with sexual partners. Drawing on in-depth interviews with 57 women at a midwestern U.S. university, we analyzed women’s explanations for using withdrawal for pregnancy prevention and framed our study within the research on gender norms, sexual scripts, and power dynamics. Findings showed withdrawal was normalized within collegiate hookup culture, and that women frequently relied on withdrawal as a secondary or backup method or when switching between methods. Women often followed up with emergency contraceptives if using withdrawal alone. With casual partners, women advocated for their own preferences, including for partners to withdraw. In committed relationships, women prioritized their partner’s desires for condomless sex, but also linked withdrawal with trust and love. Thus, women in relationships may be disadvantaged by hookup culture norms suggesting sex is freely available, putting pressure on them to acquiesce to withdrawal. Many women used withdrawal despite acknowledging it was not the most desirable or effective method, emphasizing the need for a sexual health approach that acknowledges these tensions and strives to help women and their partners safely meet their sexual and contraceptive preferences.

摘要

本研究将避孕普及率研究与联播文化中的避孕动态研究相结合，以检验大学女性与性伴侣一起使用戒断的情况。通过对美国中西部一所大学的 57 名女性的深入访谈，我们分析了女性对使用戒断预防怀孕的解释，并将我们的研究纳入性别规范、性脚本和权力动态的研究范围内。研究结果表明，在大学联播文化中，戒断是正常的，并且女性经常依赖戒断作为次要或备用方法，或者在方法之间切换时。如果单独使用戒断，女性通常会服用紧急避孕药。对于随意的伴侣，女性主张自己的喜好，包括让伴侣退出。在承诺的关系中，女性优先考虑伴侣对无套性行为的渴望，但也将退缩与信任和爱联系起来。因此，恋爱中的女性可能会因为暗示性行为可以自由获得的连接文化规范而处于不利地位，从而迫使她们默许退出。尽管承认这不是最理想或最有效的方法，但许多女性使用了戒断，强调需要一种性健康方法来承认这些紧张关系并努力帮助女性及其伴侣安全地满足她们的性和避孕偏好。